1704 Quit Rent Rolls of Virginia

Edward Gornto/Brinto had two sons (William and John). Both brothers are listed in the 'Quit Rent Rolls' for Virginia in 1704. These included lists of the individuals charged for land taxes in all of the counties of Virginia save those belonging to the Northern Neck Proprietorship (Lancaster, Northumberland, Westmoreland, Richmond, and Stafford Cos.). Also excluded were the inhabitants of the then newly-founded Huguenot town of Manakin. The lists simply give the names of those paying the quit rent (one shilling for every fifty acres of land), and the numbers of acres assessed. They are listed as William Grinto, and John Gonton respectively. During the colonial period all land owners in Virginia paid to the King an annual "quit rent" of one shilling for every fifty acres. The list of the land owners and the amount each owned was prepared by the sheriffs of the various counties and delivered to the Receiver-General, who collected the quit rents and transmitted the lists, with his accounts, to the English government. Land patents are another means of identifying who was in Virginia by what date and, for some, where they lived. These patents record the first ownership of "new," i.e. not previously owned, land. They also record lists of persons who had emigrated sometime prior to the date of the patent being issued, and whose removal to Virginia created the entitlement to land. Land between the Potomac and Rappahannock rivers was distributed through the Fairfax family rather than a government agency; these grants are published separately. Without census records, and particularly when researching a county with significant early record loss, the land patents can be helpful in locating individuals and identifying family migration patterns.

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 A Rent Roll of all the Land in York County, 1704

Formed in 1634 as one of the eight original shires (counties) of the Virginia Colony, York County is one of the oldest counties in the United States.  York County was formed originally as Charles River Shire for King Charles I.  Charles River Shire was named for the younger son of King James I.  Charles River County and the Charles River names were changed to York County and York River during the English Civil War.  The river, county and town Yorktown are thought to have been named for York, a city in Northern England. It is the site of the last battle and surrender of British forces in 1781 at the conclusion of the American Revolutionary War. The county seat is the unincorporated town of Yorktown.

Yorktown 1865

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 Lands in King William & Queen County 

King and Queen County was created from New Kent County in 1691. The county was named for King William III and Queen Mary II.  King and Queen is one of the tide-water counties of Virginia, lying at its southeastern extremity, only some forty miles from Chesapeake Bay. It adjoins the counties of Caroline, Essex, Middlesex, Gloucester, and King William, being separated from the latter by the Mattapony River. It lies on the northeastern shore of the York and Mattapony Rivers.

Lands in King William & Queen County 1863

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Quit Rent Rolls of South Carolina

The quit rent scrolls show “William Benedictus & William Townsend” listed as having paid the rent due the Crown in 1768 on 50 acres of land. “Light Townsend” is listed on the next entry as having paid the rent due on 100 acres of land. A notation to the “William Benedictus & William Townsend” entry shows “New Grant July 16, 1765. In those names.” A notation to the Light Townsend entry reads “New Grant Jan 18, 1765” These notations show that new grants had been made on the 50 acre and 100 acre properties that Benedictus Townsend had been granted in 1765. The following year, 1769, a William Townsend paid the quit rent on the 50 acres of land. There was no mention of a William Benedictus or Benedictus. Also at that same time, Light Townsend paid the quit rent on the 100 acres of land. William Townsend and Light Townsend were also found to have paid quit rents on 50 acres and 100 acres respectively in 1770 and in 1773. These entries for Quit Rent payments and “new” grants show that William and Light acquired Benedictus’s land before 1768, by purchase, gift or inheritance. William Benedictus Townsend is very likely Benedictus Townsend.  

The Quit Rent Scrolls for the year 1767, 1770 and 1773 provide further evidence of the existence of the above indentures. The 1767 scroll show that rents were paid by Light Townsend in the amount of 4 shillings 9 pence proclamation money on 100 acres in Craven County - with a notation that reads "New Grant Jan 18, 1765"  The quit rent scrolls for 1770 show that Light Townsend paid for two years of rent in the amount of 4 shillings proclamation money per acre. Again in 1774, Light Townsend is listed as paying quit rent in the amount of 4 shillings proclamation money per acre on 100 acres for the year 1773. Thus we have Light paying the rents as required on the property originally granted to Benedictus. We conclude from these documents that Light Townsend (1745-1817) is the son, of Benedictus Townsend. 

Quit Rent Rolls of North Carolina

Quitrents were small annual fees paid by a landowner in colonial North Carolina to the proprietor (or granter) who had conferred the holding. Rooted in the feudal system, quitrents were more closely related to a tithe than a tax since they released the subject from any further obligation of service to the proprietor.

As early as 1665, North Carolinians disliked taxes—even if deemed necessary–and they especially loathed abuse of power and mismanagement of revenue.  A chief concern for colonists was the quitrent—basically a land tax.  North Carolinians’ irritation with the quitrent intensified during the early 1700s, when the new provincial government tried collecting back taxes and the Assembly and royal officials debated the proper role of the government and the quitrent.  

During a tumultuous political interregnum in 1650s England, many royalists had helped Charles II secure his throne, so once he returned from France and assumed power in 1660, the king started awarding land grants and other patronage to his political allies.

In 1663 Charles II awarded eight allies land in what is now North Carolina and South Carolina.  The eight Lords Proprietors almost immediately issued a quitrent to help pay for the establishment and maintenance of a Proprietary government–in particular, the governor’s salary.  From the first days of its implementation, the quitrent was a contentious matter, for no matter the location or value of land during the late 1600s or early 1700s, the Lords Proprietors levied a standard rate per acre (varying from a farthing per acre to a half-penny with time).

As expected, land disputes abounded and colonists ignored demands for quitrents.  Johnston therefore threatened to increase taxes and expedite their recovery.  After hearing reports that government officials seized land, the Assembly tried to arrest Johnston’s agents.  So, Johnston closed the Assembly and essentially denied the people a political voice.  The Crown, however, in 1741 decided in favor of the landowners, who Johnston had argued illegally owned land.  In the end, the lack of quitrent payments weakened the provincial government’s power and many officials supposedly went without pay; Governor Johnston remarked a few days before his death in 1752 that his salary was 13,000 pounds in arrears.

The quitrent problem also contributed greatly to the Regulator movement of the late 1760s.  John Carteret, the Earl of Granville, was the only one of the Lords Proprietors who refused to sell his inherited share to the Crown.  An ambitious man, he kept Granville District so that his family’s wealth might rival that of many European dynasties.  His ambition combined with unscrupulous tax agents created problems for North Carolinians.  With the increased number of squatters in Granville District, lawsuits seemed unavoidable as agents unsuccessfully tried to collect taxes.

John Carteret, the Earl of Granville

King William III and Queen Mary II  Proclamation 1694

1689